LiveStrong Counterfeiters Exposed on CBS' Local News in New York City
Last night, Arnold Diaz presented a Shame on You report on WCBS, Channel 2 in New York, exposing distributors and retailers selling counterfeit LiveStrong Yellow Wristbands. Diaz reported that these wristbands are becoming widely available in the New York City metropolitan area.
He and a segment producer visited a Dollar Plus Store that he said was in Metuchen, NJ (apparently Dollar Plus on Amboy Avenue in Edison), a kiosk at the Staten Island Mall, and a wholesale importer at Broadway and 29th Street in Manhattan where they were able to purchase counterfeit LiveStrong wristbands. They captured the transactions each time with a hidden camera. They came back later with a regular TV camera and a large microphone, interviewed the people who sold the counterfeit wristbands, and challenged the wristbands' authenticity.
The Shame on You segment was on CBS 2 News at 6:00 and 11:00pm. I set my TiVo to record it. Subsequently, WCBS made the video available on their website [ Windows Media Player required ].
While I was out last evening, I went into a Krauszer's Convenience Store on Georges Road in North Brunswick to buy a Diet Coke. I unexpectedly found and purchased a counterfeit LiveStrong wristband for $3.00. It looks exactly like the counterfeit depicted in the Shame on You report. When I get a chance, I will post a photo of the counterfeit next to a real LiveStrong wristband, so Operation Gadget readers can see the difference.
WCBS deserves praise for an extremely informative report. I think they collected enough evidence to warrant some sort of investigation by the Attorneys General of New Jersey and New York. Since I bought a counterfeit wristband in a convenience store last night, I am going to call the New Jersey Attorney General's Office to ask how I can file a complaint.
Update: I filed a complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs, alleging misconduct related to a legitimate charity.
Text of the complaint:
On November 4, 2004 at about 9:00pm, I went into the Krauszer's Convenience Store at 715 Georges Road in North Brunswick, NJ to purchase a Diet Coke. When I reached the counter, I saw a point-of-sale display with packages of single LiveStrong wristbands that appeared to be counterfeit. I am in a position to identify counterfeit LiveStrong wristbands because I have purchased 50 of them directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation in Austin, TX, and have participated in fund-raising events for this charity.
The wristbands were being sold for $3.00 each and has a price tag adhered to its packaging. I purchased one in order to be able to provide photos of counterfeit LiveStrong wristbands on a website that I operate. I still have the counterfeit wristband in its original packaging.
I subsequently saw a "Shame on You" report on WCBS TV that was broadcast at 11:00pm on November 4. The wristband that reporter Arnold Diaz identified as fake is very similar in appearance to the one I purchased at the Krauszer's in North Brunswick.
